The Secret to a Happy Life

04 Oct The Secret to a Happy Life

I typically start my day with a quick view of World Family News. I like to keep up on the threats and strengths families face around the world. It never ceases to amaze me that the news so often reported is like the tail that wags the dog. You would think from what is reported that huge numbers of people favor a homosexual lifestyle, or don’t stay married, or resent raising their children.

While the numbers in these categories are rising at a dangerous rate, Tom Christensen masterfully reminds us this week, that not only are those numbers still in the minority but they certainly don’t reflect the desire of most of the people in the world. Solid marriage relationship and tender family interactions are still society’s greatest wish and objective. They are also our only protection against social chaos! The family will not fail as long as we don’t quit trying to strengthen it, protect it and promote it. Enjoy this article and then–go hug a member of YOUR family!

Sincerely,

Carol Soelberg

President, United Families International

The Things That Matter Most

Tom Christensen

One’s profession, hobbies and leisure activities sustain and enrich life. However, life’s best memories center around the home. In a Columbia University survey, 99% of adults ranked “loving family relationships” as “important” or “very important,” ranking higher than all categories including financial security, religion, sex life, and job satisfaction. Nothing brings greater joy and satisfaction to life than wholesome, permanent, intimate relationships with spouse, children, parents or siblings.

The family is not only critical to individual happiness; it is the foundation of a peaceful, free, prosperous world. Strong families nurture, care, and facilitate the moral, intellectual, and social development of children– the leaders, workers, and parents of tomorrow. Even the unmarried or childless recognize the societal importance of effective parenting in the shelter of a traditional home.

There is really no way around it. We did not enter this world alone. We each have a father and mother. In an ideal world, the same two parents who create us stay together long enough to house, feed, clothe, nurture and protect us; to instill in us the virtues, experiences, and confidence necessary to pursue a successful life; and to form families of our own.

All around us families are falling apart. The erosion of virtue and the family is a national epidemic fueling poverty, despair, guilt, and dependency. In the US, single parent families are forming at five times the rate of two-parent families. Half of all marriages end in divorce. One out of every four unborn children is aborted. Many young people no longer learn the values and skills of responsible adulthood in the home. The last resort is private or government institutions, often the criminal justice system.

Schools, churches, and the media play a critical role in reinforcing the values and life skills of the traditional family. However, rather than emphasizing the virtues, joy, and societal necessity of enduring marriages and families, many are silent or send the wrong message: 1) One can experience a fullness of life without any family attachments. 2) It is not worth the time, trouble, or sacrifice to sustain a marriage and raise children. 3) Those who avoid marriage and childbearing enjoy a greater degree of personal satisfaction or liberation. 4) A government employee or private provider can take the place of a parent. 5) Those who avoid it are doing something noble such as “protecting the earth.” Accepting such nonsense may result in one missing out on life’s most pleasurable moments.

Of course, no one is compelled to marry and have children. But the government and the public cannot afford to be neutral or silent on this most important issue. As a matter of national security and the individual pursuit of happiness; society must promote specific measures to strengthen and maintain the traditional family as the fundamental unit of society. It is time for the public, grassroots organizations, the media and religious and political leaders to wake up and warn of the very real calamities facing nations that tolerate or encourage the desecration of the family.

Protecting the traditional family need not be divisive. Every major religion and the majority of nonbelievers accept it. In one survey of 2893 adults in 19 nations, 78% agreed that the family created through lawful marriage is the fundamental unit of society” and 84% agreed with the definition of marriage “as between one man and one woman.” Those opposed to the family are a small vocal minority. In an increasingly polarized world, measures to sustain the traditional family can be unifying.

Life’s Not the Breath You Take

I started this piece writing of the individual joy and blessings of a loving family. To you parents, I ask you to think back and ponder the following questions: How important was your parents’ love and care for you? How did you feel when a loved one passed away? Do you remember that scene in the hospital when you held your freshly scrubbed and wrapped newborn for the first time and realized this child would be yours forever? How about the feeling of your little one in soft pajamas holding your neck and telling you she loves you? Is there anything you wouldn’t do to protect that child and provide her with the best chance for success and happiness?

The war over the family is not hyperbole. Just look at current legislation, court decisions, entertainment and the media. This is a battle for the souls and future of you, your children, and your grandchildren. It is waged daily in our homes, schools, workplaces, on the television and Internet, in the halls and chambers of government, and at UN conferences. If you are interested in preserving a world safe for children and families, please educate yourself and consider joining with us.

Go here to see a list of research studies on happiness for those who are married and those who are parents.

I close today with the lyrics of a great George Strait song available on YouTube. It is all about priorities.

He looks up from second base, dad’s up in the stands.
He saw the hit, the run, the slide, there ain’t no bigger fan.
In the parking lot after the game
He said, “Dad, I thought you had a plane to catch?”
He smiled and said, “Yeah, son, I did.”

But life’s not the breath you take, the breathing in and out
That gets you through the day, ain’t what it’s all about.
You just might miss the point trying to win the race.
Life’s not the breath you take but the moments that take your breath away.

Fast forward fifteen years and a thousand miles away.
Boy’s built a life, he’s got a wife and a baby due today.
He hears a voice saying, “I made it son.”
Says, “I told you dad, you didn’t have to come.”
He smiles and says, “Yeah, I know you did.”

But life’s not the breath you take, the breathing in and out
That gets you through the day, ain’t what it’s all about.
You just might miss the point trying to win the race.
Life’s not the breath you take but the moments that take your breath away.

Just like it took my breath when she was born.
Just like it took my breath away when dad took his last that morn.

Life’s not the breath you take, the breathing in and out
That gets you through the day, ain’t what it’s all about.
Just might miss the point if you don’t slow down the pace.
Life’s not the breath you take but the moments that take your breath away.

Tom Christensen, former CEO of United Families, is a successful father, attorney, and politician. He has written extensively on the natural family and has addressed UN delegations in behalf of UFI in Istanbul, New York, Nairobi, the Hague, Lisbon and Geneva.